Effects of a 10-week exercise intervention programme on exercise and work capacities in Belfast's ambulance-men

The objective of the present study was to investigate the occupational benefits of an exercise intervention programme, including changes in physical working capacity and other physical fitness measures on a group of Belfast ambulancemen. Physical training was performed twice weekly for 10 weeks and consisted primarily of indoor soccer and circuit-training sessions. Both experimental (n = 8) and control subjects (n = 6) were assessed for height (HT), weight (WT), body composition (percentage fat), standing broad jump (SBJ), flexibility (Flex), and sit-up performance (SU). The experimental group was further assessed for blood pressure (BP), hand grip strength (HGS), maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), end lactate concentration (EL), anaerobic threshold (AT) and leg strength (LS). Working capacity was also assessed during a staged emergency incident, using a portable telemetric gas analyser. Significant changes in the experimental group were found following training for Flex, SU, SBJ, VO2 max (all P < 0.05), EL and AT (P < 0.01). A significant drop in the metabolic cost of the simulated emergency incident was also noted following training. No significant differences were found for the control group over the experimental period. The present study indicated that a twice-weekly exercise intervention programme was effective in improving the physical fitness of Belfast's ambulancemen. Such a programme could prove cost-effective by increasing work capacity and decreasing absenteeism related to musculoskeletal injury.